1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to occupant restraint belts used in motor vehicles, and more specifically to a restraint belt with a presenter for making it easier for a person to see and grasp the belt in order to fasten the belt.
2. Background
Occupant restraint belts (also known as seat belts) are fitted to most types of passenger vehicles in order to protect vehicle occupants from injury during a crash or other abrupt deceleration of the vehicle. One limitation to the effectiveness of modern seat belts is that they require a voluntary and optional act by the occupant to fasten the belt properly around their body. Some persons do not use their vehicle""s seat belts because they find it difficult or inconvenient to don the seat belt.
This difficulty in donning the belt is sometimes due to the fact that when the belt is in the unfastened condition, it must assume a stowed position in which it does not obstruct the occupant while entering or exiting the vehicle. Consequently, the seat belt is typically configured so that it is pulled to the rear by a retractor mechanism. With the belt in this stowed position, the buckles (or other portions of the belt) that the occupant must grasp in order to don the belt may be difficult to see and/or reach when in the seated position.
Systems have been proposed for moving a seat belt or buckle element upward and/or forwardly to a more easily grasped position after the occupant is seated in the seat. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,431,446 and 5,123,673.
The present invention provides an occupant restraint belt for use in combination with a seat of a motor vehicle. The belt has an inflatable presenter comprising an inflatable section having a deflated condition wherein the belt assumes a stowed position and an inflated condition wherein the belt assumes a deployed position in which the belt is in a position making it easy for a seat occupant to see and grasp the belt in order to fasten it. The inflatable section is inflated by a source of gas pressure carried on board the vehicle, such as a compressor, a pressure vessel, or a after an occupant is seated in the seat and ready to don the restraint belt.
Inflation of the inflatable section preferably occurs upon activation by an electronic control system that receives inputs from one or more vehicle systems, such as a seat weight sensor, a door open/closed sensor, and/or an ignition switch. When inflated, the inflatable section is flexible and compliant enough that it will not cause any discomfort to the seat occupant if it should contact the occupant""s body.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the inflatable section comprises a layer of flexible material sewn or otherwise secured to the webbing that constitutes the main restraint member of the belt to form at least one gas-tight inflation chamber. The inflatable section when deflated has a generally flat cross-section and is approximately as flexible as the webbing alone. When inflated, the inflatable section expands in cross-section and so becomes substantially more rigid than when deflated. It is also possible to fabricate the inflatable section integrally with the webbing in a xe2x80x9cone-piece wovenxe2x80x9d process, thereby eliminating the need to stitch a separate top layer to the webbing. The belt is secured to a lower anchor adjacent a lower side portion of the seat, and the inflatable section is disposed adjacent the lower anchor. The construction of the inflatable section is such that when inflated an upper end of the inflatable section moves forwardly and inwardly to the deployed condition, positioning the belt above the seat occupant""s thigh so that it is easy to reach.
The invention further comprises method of moving an occupant restraint belt associated with a seat of a motor vehicle from a stowed position to a deployed position wherein the belt is relatively easily grasped, the method comprising the steps of: providing an inflatable section disposed on the belt and having a deflated condition wherein the inflatable section allows the restraint belt to assume the stowed position; connecting a source of gas pressure to the inflatable section, the source of gas pressure operable to selectively inflate and deflate the inflatable section; and causing the source of gas pressure to inflate the inflatable section thereby moving the belt to the deployed condition.